Use and Care Manual

ManualsBrandsFIELD COMPANY ManualsCookware8.375 in. No.6 Cast Iron Skillet Lid

Field Skillets arrive “pre-seasoned.” What

does this mean? Do I need to season it

again before use?

Before your skillet arrives, we oven-season it three times at the factory using organic

grapeseed oil. This kickstarts the seasoning process for you and means you can begin cooking

on your pan right away, with minimal sticking. Once you receive your skillet, there’s no need to

oven season it again; instead, just start cooking.

How do I break in my Field cast iron?

Field Skillets arrive pre-seasoned, so you can start using your pan right away. The best way to

build up seasoning is just by cooking with your skillet; each time you use your pan, it will

develop a little more seasoning on its surface. Dishes like cornbread, roasted vegetables or

anything fried are particularly good at this.

All cast iron skillets take a little time to become truly non-stick, and every pan develops

seasoning differently, depending on how often (and what) you cook. Whether it takes a few

months, or more, time and use are always the key to getting that slick, even seasoning you’re

looking for.

We recommend reading through this page for more information on how to break in your Field

Skillet and begin the seasoning process. And if you’d like to go the extra mile and try your hand

at oven seasoning, we recommend following our cast iron seasoning instructions.

What should I cook first in my Field Skillet to

help it develop seasoning?

While your skillet will arrive pre-seasoned, cast iron isn’t truly non-stick until it has been used

over the course of a few months and built up dozens of interlocking layers of seasoning. To

kickstart this seasoning process, we recommend cooking some dishes that will help easily add

seasoning to your pan during its first few weeks of use. Dishes like cornbread, roasted or

sauteed vegetables, focaccia or anything fried are great for this. You can find a full list of

dishes (and recipes) we recommend for breaking in your cast iron and building up seasoning

here. If you’re cooking something a little more lean early on, like chicken breast or fish, it’s best

to use some extra oil or fat.

How should I clean my Field cast iron?

Let’s get this out of the way first: cast iron can rust. That means no soaking, no drip-drying,

and never put it in the dishwasher.

We’ve put together a list of simple steps that will make cleaning your cast iron easy, and help

you build up sturdy seasoning. You can find our step-by-step guide to cleaning your cast iron

cookware here.

Summary of content (6 pages)

PAGE 1
Field Skillets arrive “pre-seasoned.” What does this mean? Do I need to season it again before use? Before your skillet arrives, we oven-season it three times at the factory using organic grapeseed oil. This kickstarts the seasoning process for you and means you can begin cooking on your pan right away, with minimal sticking. Once you receive your skillet, there’s no need to oven season it again; instead, just start cooking.
PAGE 2
Can I use soap on my skillet? Yes, absolutely! The idea that you can’t use soap to clean your cast iron comes from the days when many soaps contained lye, which damages seasoning. These days, most dish soaps are totally fine for use on your cast iron, and can often help remove sticky oil residues.
PAGE 3
Simple as it may sound, the real solution to the problem is to JUST KEEP COOKING! It can often take a few months of using your pan to get it to the dark, non-stick surface that you expect from cast iron. In general, it's best to cook with a little more fat or oil in the first few weeks of using your pan, because this will help speed up seasoning. You can read more about breaking in cast iron here.
PAGE 4
To remove flaking seasoning, we recommend the following steps: 1. Use a chain mail scrubber to lightly scuff the entire cooking surface of the pan (if you don’t have a chain mail scrubber, the edge of a metal spatula is the next best option). You’re aiming for an amount of pressure that scuffs the pan, removes anything loose, but doesn’t make deep scratches or gouges. Focus extra effort on any bare patches, and don’t be afraid to go a little harder on any seasoning that is flaking off. 2.
PAGE 5
If you don’t have our seasoning oil just yet, then we’d recommend using grapeseed oil, or whichever oil in your pantry has the highest polyunsaturated fat content. We don’t recommend using flaxseed oil; while flaxseed oil is high in polyunsaturated fats just like grapeseed oil, it’s prone to creating a more brittle seasoning that flakes easily. I seasoned my pan in the oven and it got all sticky and developed a weird pattern.
PAGE 6
2. Not applying seasoning oil. Once you’ve dried your pan, apply a thin coat of seasoning oil all over. This will protect your pan from any ambient moisture it might encounter before its next use. 3. Improper storage. Make sure your skillet is kept in a cool, dry place; people often keep their pans in garages, which are prone to becoming really humid in the summer.